Protest Fashion--a Striking Trend
May 8th, Montreal, Quebec, Canada—Protest fashion has a long and colourful history within social movements, and the nearly two month student protests in Montréal are no exception. Correlating with last week’s rise in violence during the marches, activists have adopted the militant bandana-over-the-face look to protect their identities—and to look cool. This iconic statement has spilled-over as as even the most humble supporters have been spotted sporting the look. To that end, we thought we’d take a look at other protest fashion that has transcended that arena to the every day.
The Bandana. Originating as a practical article from the ‘good old west’ era, where cowboys would employ this article to cover their face while robbing a bank or engaging in some other nefarious activity, today it is more recently affiliated with being an outlaw, and expressing a radical tone.
The look has been adopted in recent decades, from “cow-punk” hipsters wearing it as a ‘kerchief around their neck, to rap artists wearing it over the lower half of their face. The latter has its roots in the graffiti movement of the early 80s in New York, where Graffiti artists used the material to help minimize the inhalation of fumes from spray paint cans; rap artists today continue to use this outlaw/badass look which permeates down to the everyday street couture of rap culture.
Montreal’s mayor, Gerald Tremblay, announced yesterday the city would be putting the kibosh on people wearing bandanas by pushing through legislation that would make it illegal for protestors to hide their identity.
The Kufiyyah. An Arabic scarf which has come to symbolize support for the Palestinian resistance movement. Stemming from the practical necessity to keep the sun off your head and the dust out of your eyes in the Middle East, the scarf has been modified for everyday use in many countries around the world.
Palestinian Liberation Organization leader, Yassir Arafat popularized the headdress for mainstream usage in the 60s after the PLO was able to garner international attention to their cause, which would eventually earn them Observer Status at the United Nations.
The general population in the West first took to wearing a modified version of the traditional scarf in the 80s to show support for the Palestinian cause during the first intifada, and it has more recently been absorbed by hipsters, mostly devolved from its original usage to simply being fashionable.
Designers such as the Israeli, Nili Lotan, have taken these protest trends even further, utilizing specific design elements—such as patterns, materials, symbolism and sensibilities—of the 60s through to today by building upon the original works.
Some of her pieces evoke the movements of the 60s with their long, flowing shape; others mix modern design with traditional patterns. Lotan also draws heavily from her own experiences and ideas, namely her collection that was inspired by the most recent war in Lebanon, in which the materials used are printed with various firearms.
The next time you go out to protest, be inspired, and do it with style.
What are you wearing? Let us know what protest fashion you think looks great by emailing us at [email protected] or via facebook.com/expressionisnow.
Executive Features Editor
